This blog is about breaking the rules.Sounds edgy, doesn't it? Maybe even a bit in-your-face devil-may-care not-if-I-see-you-first in an anarcho-pretentious-punk-rock-cynic kinda way. But that's not what we're about. And we're also not about clichés, as in the cliché, "Love breaks all the rules." Because let's face it, half the time we don't even know what that's supposed to mean, and much of the time it just ain't true.
So when we say that this blog is about breaking the rules, we don't mean thumbing our noses at society or reveling in tacky or tactless self-indulgence. Sure there's a place for that — we appreciate a good nose-thumbing as much as the next guy. But what this blog is mostly about is who we are, why we're in love, and how we plan to celebrate that love with our family and friends. See, not so edgy, right?
But we do live life on the edge. Rules of all kinds set boundaries and thresholds, and life brings us face to face with those liminal spaces just beyond the pale. From a place of civilized safety, we gaze out into the wilds.
Life is full of edges. Sometimes it's hard to see what might happen next.
Which is the reason for this blog. We are not exactly your typical mainstream bride and groom. We are pacifists, feminists and environmentalists. We are Pagans. And we are, as they say kindly, "creative types." We're a couple of weirdos, and we know it. And while this makes us practically perfect for each other, we also have family and friends out there wondering, "What exactly is a pacifist, feminist, eco-friendly Pagan wedding going to look like, anyway? I'm not going to have to dance naked around a bonfire under a full moon chanting prayers to Gaia, am I?"
This blog is our answer to those uncertainties. (The short answer is, only if you want to!) It is our invitation out beyond the edges of mainstream wedding planning and into the wilds of love and dreams. Let us begin with a picnic basket and a friendly wave. And who knows, maybe it'll provide a bit of inspiration for other couples out there, too, who want to know how they can plan a low-budget, eco-friendly, fringe-faith love-fest of their own.
If this blog project can offer a bit of guidance and hope, and maybe a laugh or a sigh once in a while, it will have served its purpose well.
That's a pretty good way to start a marriage, we think.
Welcome to Wedding on the Edge.
Features of the Blog
In addition to sharing important updates and information with invited guests, we hope this blog will become a place of preparation and contemplation for the wedding and our married life together. In several regular features, we'll be sharing insights and experiences over the next year as we plan the details of the ceremony and reception, as well as giving friends and family from our respective "sides" some insight into the nuances of our partnership, our unique passions and interests, and the way our spiritual lives weave through it all. Some of these regular features will include:
Two Outta Three — As we plan our low-budget, eco-friendly, fringe-faith love-fest, we explore the options for folks like us looking for nontraditional ways to celebrate their partnership without compromising spiritual meaningfulness, political commitment, or family fun. Our goal as we plan each aspect of the wedding ceremony and reception is to aim for options that are Pagan-friendly, earth-friendly and budget-friendly. We figure two outta three ain't bad.Leaps of Faith — Through reflections and stories, we introduce family, friends and readers to aspects of our Pagan spirituality and its relevance to the way we live, love and celebrate, as we seek a harmonious and beautiful balance between individuality and tradition.Glimpses of the Edge — For the visually-inclined, we share videos, photographs and other works of art over the coming months as we celebrate our engagement and the various milestones of our relationship (as well as some of the breath-taking and eerie landscapes we continue to explore together, such as the infamous Wedding Expo).What's in a Word? — Jeff utilizes his astounding linguistic and phonosemantic skills to dazzle and amaze, as he explores the etymologies and meanings of wedding-related words and traces the heritage of our family names back into the distant past of our ancestors.Songs of the Fall — Ali kicks her incredible bardic skills into high gear as she shares love poems and ballads by her favorite poets that reflect some of the unique themes, moods and imagery that have played a role in our partnership and have challenged and deepened our notions of love, marriage and life.Jumping Off — Bits of interest, plus advice and anecdotes from family, friends and readers. Remember when your mother used to say, "If everybody jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?" We thought about naming this category, "Hey, look! Other people also get married!" But it just didn't have the same ring to it.